The principal objective of this project is the development of an efficient, chiral synthesis of the potential anticancer agent sesbanine. Preliminary studies indicate that sesbanine exhibits substantial activity in both in vitro (KB) and in vivo (P-388 leukemia) assays, but no material for further evaluation is available. Isolation from the natural source, the seeds of Sesbania drummondii, is effectively precluded by the abysmal yield of the process. The synthesis which is proposed should provide an effective and rapid method for generating ample quantities for further testing. A short, convergent synthesis of berninamycinic acid is also proposed. Analogs of berninamycinic acid may have potential as antibiotics since ammonium berninamycinate inhibits bacterial protein synthesis.